Showing posts with label Mark Redfield. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mark Redfield. Show all posts

Saturday, April 25, 2015

"GAS" written by Alfred Hitchcock


GAS is a (very) short story written by Alfred Hitchcock when he was 20 years-old.

During Hitchcock's formative years as a young man, before he embarked on a career in motion pictures, he was a voracious reader of crime fiction and true-crime tales. One of his favorite authors was Edgar Allan Poe.

In a magazine article in the 1960s, Hitchcock recounted how Poe's proto-detective story Murders in the Rue Morgue made a deep impression. Hitchcock was particularly struck by the simplicity of Poe's short stories, how they provoked emotion in the reader and made their effects simply and directly, with just enough plausibility and character to allow the reader to enter the writer's world and be immersed in the drama and suspense.

Hitchcock, in his late teens during World War One, worked for a telegraph cable company called Henley's. While employed there as a draftsman and advertising designer, making illustrations and cartoons, he contributed several pieces of creative writing to the in-house company publication, called The Henley Telegraph. His very first pieces of fiction ever, Gas, was included in the premiere issue of The Henley Telegraph. He would contribute many more pieces of short fiction before leaving Henley's and going to work in the nascent British film industry.

LISTEN TO GAS HERE.

"GAS" (1919)
By Alfred Hitchcock
Performed by Mark Redfield
Announcer: Mary Anne Perry
Music: Lee David
Recording Engineer/Technical Director is Bill Dickson of Drat Productions.
Running time: 4m10sec

Copyright Mark Redfield & Damfino Media.




Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Abraham Lincoln was a poet: "My Childhood Home I See Again"

Today is April 14, 2015, the 150th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's assassination on 1865.


He was killed by actor John Wilkes Booth.

I've chosen a poem that he wrote in 1848 called My Childhood Home I See Again.


In the spring of 1846 Abraham Lincoln sent some poetry to his friend Andrew Johnston, and on September 6 enclosed additional stanzas with his letter. At Lincoln's request, Johnston published portions of the poetry anonymously in the Quincy, Illinois Whig on May 5, 1847.

Lincoln offered Johnston an explanation of the first poem ("My Childhood Home I See Again"), saying he had visited his boyhood neighborhood in southern Indiana in the fall of 1844 while campaigning for presidential hopeful Henry Clay. He commented that the region was "as unpoetical as any spot of the earth," but it brought back memories of loved ones such as his mother and sister who lay buried there.

He made Matthew Gentry the subject of Part II, telling Johnston: "He is three years older than I, and when we were boys we went to school together. He was rather a bright lad, and the son of the rich man of our poor neighborhood. At the age of nineteen he unaccountably became furiously mad, from which condition he gradually settled down into harmless insanity. When, as I told you in my other letter I visited my old home in the fall of 1844, I found him still lingering in this wretched condition. In my poetizing mood I could not forget the impression his case made upon me."

My Childhood Home I See Again was recorded on 14 April, 2014


You can listen to it HERE on Soundcloud.


Wednesday, April 8, 2015

VOTE FOR POE FOREVERMORE RADIO THEATER IN THE 13TH ANNUAL RONDO AWARDS!



VOTE NOW FOR POE FOREVERMORE RADIO THEATER!

The Rondo Awards are happening now and voting ends midnight, Sunday, April 19th, 2015!


Please take a few moments and VOTE NOW for Poe Forevermore Radio Theater in the 13th Annual Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards! Vote for Poe Forevermore Radio Theater in category # 23 BEST MULTIMEDIA! Thank you!

You don’t have to vote in every category, just the ones you know and feel comfortable voting on. And your vote for us in category #23 is greatly appreciated!

Voting ballot is HERE: www.rondoaward.com

and HERE http://rondoaward.com/rondoaward.com/blog/?p=168%2F%3Fp%3D168

HOW TO VOTE: – All voting is by e-mail only.  Simply copy this ballot and send an e-mail with your picks to me, David Colton, at taraco@aol.com by Sunday night at midnight, April 19
– You can cut-and-paste the ballot and highlight your choices, or place an X next to your choices; or you can type your choices in an e-mail.
– And no, you do not have to vote in every category.
– Send your votes to taraco@aol.com –
– One vote per person, please. Every e-mail must include your name to be counted.
– All votes are kept strictly confidential. No e-mail addresses or personal information will ever be shared with anyone.
– Feel free to spread the word about Rondo nominations — place Rondo banners on websites, go social on Twitter or Facebook, urge fans and friends to vote. But please remember that overly organized voting campaigns (mass duplication of ballots, for example), are prohibited. Let’s try to keep this a fun vote.
–Finally, thanks as always to the thousands of fans, pros and friends who have voted year after year. We look forward to hearing from you again. Let’s make RONDO13 the best ever.

Here is where you can listen to and download your favorite Poe Forevermore Radio Theater shows: http://www.poeforevermore.com/poe-radio.html

Thank you for voting for Poe Forevermore Radio Theater!
-Mark Redfield

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

REDFIELD STUDIO FIRE FUND--I'M ASKING FOR HELP

I need your help.

We have set up a temporary fund drive to raise the out-of-pocket expenses as a result of the fire we had at our studios in Baltimore, on Sunday, NOVEMBER 17, 2014.

I'm asking that you give what you can -- $25, $50, $100 or whatever you can help with. We need the money to take care of things like the dumpster/trash removal, temporary space rental until the building is repaired, and to help cover all the other unforeseen cash details that will crop up, before the insurance can help.

Any amount that you give will be greatly appreciated. I will send you an email to thank you. For donations over $25 I'll send you a copy of my magazine “Monsterpalooza”  that actually survived the fire! (It might smell a little smoky, but I want to say “thank you” in some way for your help.)

The link below is where you can make a donation--

CLICK HERE FOR THE LINK



THE FIRE
I got a call from the landlord of the buildings I rent that we (my brother Eric and I) use for our props and sets work. The landlord called Sunday morning, November 17, 2014 at 7:45am.

He said that there had been a fire, and I had better get over there.

I got to the site at about 8:30am, passing two big fire trucks on my way.

When I got there, I met Tony, my landlord, and a fellow called Ted, who lived nearby. They, along with arson detectives, fire investigators and police, filled me in on what happened and what they knew at that point.

ARSON
It seems that, just before dawn, an individual was setting several fires in the neighborhood, primarily in business dumpsters. The fire he set next to my building was in a thicket of bamboo and a wooden fence. A fence that separates the alley from a residential property. The fire the arsonist set in the bamboo quickly spread toward the yard of the residential property, and engulfed and destroyed two classic cars. The fire then began to spread to my building. The folks who own the classic cars woke to the sound of the fire snapping and crackling the bamboo, and call the fire department. They put the fire out by 7am.

One of the businesses whose dumpster was set on fire, captured video of the arsonist. A clear description is with the police.

REPAIRS AND YOUR HELP
We estimate that we have lost about $20,000 in sets and scenery and things. Nothing irreplaceable and the insurance should help us. But that will take time, and that's why we're asking for a little help now.

We need help now in covering the immediate, out-of-pocket expenses of clean up, and to find temporary space for storage for the winter months, and other incidentals related to clean-up and repair, as we await the insurance, both ours and the landlord’s (to repair the roof and other building damages).

THANK YOU!
So if you can, contribute $25, $50, $100—whatever you can to help, and although I can't repay you, I can send you a copy of the magazine that survived the fire. Over $25 please include your mailing address in the message.

If it isn't one thing, it's another…Luckily, no one was hurt, and we weren't in the middle of building a job for a client and had it destroyed by fire. There is always a silver-lining.

Thank you for helping.
Sincerely,
Mark Redfield

If you'd like to get in-touch with me, please email info@poeforevermore.com or call 443-240-7527.

You can also help buy purchasing one of my paintings if you wish. I'll use every penny on this transition period with the studio.

Here's the link to my ETSY GALLERY

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

POE FOREVERMORE RADIO THEATER WINS RONDO AWARD!

 Poe Forevermore Radio Theater won the 12th Annual Rondo Award for "Best Multimedia or Podcast".





Thanks to all of you who voted for us!
The complete list of Rondo Award winners is here:
www.rondoaward.com

Thanks to all of the actors, writers, directors, musicians. technicians and graphic artists who have made the launch of Poe Forevermore Radio Theater successful.

Current titles are found here: http://www.poeforevermore.com/poe-radio.html

Building a library of audio plays and books at
www.poeforevermore.com
Tales of Mystery & Imagination

Saturday, May 10, 2014

SHAKESPEARE SATURDAYS: Caliban in THE TEMPEST "This island's mine!"

SHAKESPEARE SATURDAYS at An Actor's Notebook.

In this brief moment from Shakespeare's magical THE TEMPEST, we are introduced to Caliban, the child-creature of the island, summoned by Prospero...


I'll read both Prospero and Caliban in this scene.


Thursday, May 8, 2014

REDFIELD'S CARTOONARAMA: "EM N EM" (2014) by Mark Redfield

EM N EM (2014) by Mark Redfield. Acrylic on canvas. 16x20.

A tasty treat? A popular musician and performer? 

All I know is--this "Em n Em" is a candy-coated chocolate that's a slim shady...

-Mark Redfield
9 May, 2014




All original text and art © Mark Redfield. All Right Reserved.

Saturday, May 3, 2014

SHAKESPEARE SATURDAYS The First Theatrical "knock-knock" joke? The Porter scene from MACBETH

 Is this the first "knock-knock" joke?

This scene, from Shakespeare's horror-show MACBETH, takes place right after the murder of Duncan. It's usually cut form productions, mostly because directors don't quite know what to do with it and it's apparent change of tone. But it is very useful, and it's meaning is easy for an audience to grasp, so I think that it should be kept.

In this recording I'll read the part of The Porter, who is a bit (no, he's very) drunk, and Malcolm, who has been a-knocking...

Hope you like it!

-Mark Redfield
3 May, 2014



Friday, April 25, 2014

Shakespeare Saturdays: Chorus opening speech from HENRY V, performed by Mark Redfield

SHAKESPEARE SATURDAYS...


Today we begin our "Shakespeare Saturdays" series; monologues and scenes posted every Saturday for the fun of it, the hell of it, the vocal exercise of it,  and to celebrate William Shakespeare's 450th through-out the year...

I thought it's be fun to begin with Chorus's opening speech from HENRY V, asking the listeners to kindly use their imaginations to enhance a poor theater's production values...

I hope you enjoy these little sips of Shakespeare.

-Mark Redfield
26 April, 2014

ps--although we really don't know the date of Shakespeare's birth, we DO know he was baptized on this day--April 26th. 



Poe Forevermore Radio Theater nominated "Best Multi Media Horror" in RONDO AWARDS! Please vote for us!

I'm very happy that the audio plays and books I'm producing under the banner POE FOREVERMORE RADIO THEATER has been nominated this year for a Rondo Award in the "Best Multi Media Horror" category!

Please take a moment and vote for Poe Forevermore Radio Theater. Basic rules and instructions ar ebelow, and voting only takes a few minutes.

There is just a week left to vote in  the TWELFTH ANNUAL RONDO HATTON CLASSIC HORROR AWARDS.
 
Balloting ends at midnight the night of Sunday, MAY 5, 2014. (If you have already voted this year, feel free to forward the ballot to a friend).

  — TO VOTE:  Simply ballot the ballot from the Rondo website HERE. or cut-and-paste works fine; or type a list, and send an e-mail with your picks to, David Colton, at taraco@aol.com by Sunday night at midnight, May 5, 2014.

  -- Every e-mail must include your name to be counted.  All votes are kept strictly confidential. No e-mail addresses or personal information will ever be shared with anyone. And no, you do not have to vote in every category.

 So, please take a moment and vote for POE FOREVERMORE RADIO THEATER today, in category # 23 BEST MULTIMEDIA HORROR The ballot is here: www.rondoaward.com

Check out POE FOREVERMORE RADIO THEATER frequently as we add new titles of audio plays and audio books weekly. Poe Forevermore Radio Theater is HERE.

Thank you for taking the time to vote for us and support our work!
-Mark Redfield
25 April, 2014



Thursday, April 24, 2014

National Poetry Month, April 2014 THE RAVEN by Poe, recited by Mark Redfield

 April, 2014 has been National Poetry Month, and as I've been working on the script and the pre-production chores of the audioplay biography of Edgar Allan Poe called ALONE: THE LIFE OF POE, I've been posting daily recordings of the poet's poems.

I should have been posting them here as well, but, well, I haven't. So, along with other entries in the coming months, I'll be posting a Poe poem here once-a-week.
 
Here's Poe's famous poem THE RAVEN, which made him something of a rock star when it was published in his lifetime, in 1845.

Enjoy the doom and gloom!

-Mark Redfield
24, April, 2014


Wednesday, April 23, 2014

THE BIRTH AND DEATH OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE We Celebrate 450 Years: April 1564-April 201

Historians believe that the great playwright and poet was born on this day in 1564. He also died on this date, April 23rd, in 1616. There some who insist that his birth be celebrated on the 26th, because there is a baptismal certificate for that day, although there is no birth record. Regardless, today we honor the great William Shakespeare, for his words and characters live on.




William Shakespeare

To celebrate and honor Shakespeare, I'm going to post a newly recorded monologue or scene each Saturday here at AN ACTOR'S NOTEBOOK. Look for posts headlined SHAKESPEARE SATURDAYS for my recordings, and for articles and stories about The Bard, along with each recording..

I think Shakespeare is best when you can HEAR him performed (and even better to see AND hear!), so I've selected a wide ranging and eclectic series of speeches that I've recorded, and I hope you like them.

They were fun to record, and allowed me to think about characters and plays I hadn't performed in years, or look at old favorites anew, and play some characters I missed earlier in my career.

To start things off, here is Prospero's epilogue, spoken at the end of THE TEMPEST. One of Shakespeare's last plays, this monologue is rather fitting to hear on the anniversary of The Bard's death, as Prospero is surely giving up his magic and creativity and letting his every "third thought" be of his own death...This monologue, in many ways, is about endings then, and about beginnings, much like the play THE TEMPEST itself.

For your indulgence and pleasure, I submit most humbly,

-Mark Redfield
23 April, 2014




Saturday, December 14, 2013

WHY 'A CHRISTMAS CAROL'?

WHY 'A CHRISTMAS CAROL'?

I chose this story by Charles Dickens because the characters are so vivid. They are delightful to play. And the story makes me very happy. It's that simple as to why I chose it for audio book performance.

The goal for me as actor and producer of audio books and plays is to make the words themselves disappear into feeling and experience.

I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I love performing it.

-Mark Redfield
www.poeforevermore.com








A CHRISTMAS CAROL is available now: http://www.poeforevermore.com/poe-radio-a-christmas-carol.html

Original Images and Text © Mark Redfield 2013

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

TEMPEST IN A TEAPOT--PRELUDE TO THE STORM

It's been sometime since I wrote and published anything here, but my recent experience, as horrific as it was, prompts me to re-examine and re-look at some things.

So, I'm back.

Back to continue to muse aloud and investigate just what it is that I do as an actor, and any-old-other-thing that strikes my fancy that's related to the art and craft of acting.

We resume this parade of thoughts, questions, and the search for answers with a seven-part series of essays  I'll call Tempest in a Teapot, inspired by a production of Shakespeare's The Tempest that I was recently invited to join to play Prospero (after the original Prospero quit, along with the co-director--that should have been enough of a warning!) and the very same production that I quit two days before opening night.



Much to talk about. Glad to be back talking about it with fellow actors and people who are interested in just what it is that we actors do.

Part One of TEMPEST IN A TEAPOT will begin when I think the time is right, and ripe!

Mark Redfield
27 August, 2013

Original Images and Text © Mark Redfield 2013


Monday, December 17, 2012

Redfield's Cartoonarama: CHARLIE CHAPLIN




"I remain just one thing, and one thing only, and that is a clown. 
It places me on a far higher plane than any politician."

- Charlie Chaplin

This cartoon of Chaplin was painted in 2012. Acrylic on canvas. 18x24. © Mark Redfield

To purchase an original painting, please visit my Etsy shop HERE:



Tuesday, December 4, 2012

HELPING THE POE HOUSE IN BALTIMORE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON


HELPING THE POE HOUSE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

MY performance of A CHRISTMAS CAROL. Incidental music by Bill Dickson. 100% of the profits of the purchase of this mp3 will be donated to The Poe House in Baltimore in 2013.

For download for ipod, ipad, and iphone and other devices. But really for your entertainment this holiday season!

My reading performance of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" runs approximately 1 hour. I used the cutting that Dickens used for public reading. The download is $4.99 (CDBabay takes a small cut) and the profits will be donated to The Poe House in Baltimore next year.

About the recording:

A CHRISTMAS CAROL
performed by Mark Redfield, music by Bill Dickson

Since 1843, A Christmas Carol has delighted millions around the globe and has come to embody the spirit of Christmas for all who have been touched by its magic. Your favorite characters come vividly to life in this rich performance by Mark Redfield. With wonderful music by Bill Dickson, gather ’round this holiday season to hear the beauty and timeless art that is Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.

"Redfield's meticulous diction, perceptive phrasing, excellent transitions and impeccable timing make his Scrooge the finest we have heard. His is a classic interpretation that is almost Shakespearean."
- The Baltimore Sun



Thank you, and I hope that you enjoy it. It's one of my favorite stories!


ORDER IT HERE http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/markredfield


Monday, November 12, 2012

Poe Forevermore Magazine


INSIDE OUR PREMIERE ISSUE!
-Mystery, horror and science fiction the way you like it!
-New Fiction by Rafael Alvarez, David Gerrold, Larry Blamire and others!
-Poe House Writing Contest Winners!
-A World Premiere English Translation of a fiery story by Stefan Grabinski, translated by Miroslaw Lipinski!
-We extract Poe’s “Berenice” with features and articles that examine what remains!
-An interview with Stephen Rebello, author of “Alfred Hitchcock and the making of PSYCHO”, about his research and the new movie starring Anthony Hopkins!
-“Comfort on the Seine” by Stephen Volk. Wherein a young Sherlock Holmes meets an old Auguste Dupin—and reveals one of Poe’s greatest secrets!
OUR COVER ART “Poe’s Progeny” is by Cortney Skinner.

All this and more in our premiere issue of POE FOREVERMORE: TALES OF MYSTERY AND IMAGINATION!

POE FOREVERMORE MAGAZINE is published by Damfino Media, Mark Redfield (Publisher and Editor)

SUBSCRIBE NOW! HERE